Commento su Ecclesiaste 2:11
וּפָנִ֣יתִֽי אֲנִ֗י בְּכָל־מַעֲשַׂי֙ שֶֽׁעָשׂ֣וּ יָדַ֔י וּבֶֽעָמָ֖ל שֶׁעָמַ֣לְתִּי לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת וְהִנֵּ֨ה הַכֹּ֥ל הֶ֙בֶל֙ וּרְע֣וּת ר֔וּחַ וְאֵ֥ין יִתְר֖וֹן תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
Poi ho guardato tutte le opere che le mie mani avevano compiuto e il lavoro che avevo lavorato per fare; e, ecco, tutto era vanità e lotta per il vento, e non c'era profitto sotto il sole.
Rashi on Ecclesiastes
Then I looked. Now at all my deeds, and I see that there is no benefit in them, for from all of them I am lacking.17I.e., they do not yield the eternal benefit I had expected of them.
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Kohelet Rabbah
“I turned to behold wisdom, debauchery, and folly, as who is the person who would come after the king, to that which they have already done” (Ecclesiastes 2:12).
“I turned [ufaniti] to behold wisdom” – [the word] ufaniti [should be read] ufiniti, I emptied, like this bowl that is filled at times and spilled at times. So, Solomon studied Torah at times, and at times forgot it.
“To behold wisdom, debauchery, and folly” – Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Simon: Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa says: “Debauchery” – this is debauchery of the kingdom;33This is a critique of the behavior of government officials. “folly” – this is heavy-handedness.34They impose harsh taxes on the foolish masses. Rabbi Simon says: “Debauchery” – this is debauchery of heresy; “folly” – this is foolishness.
“As who is the person who would come after the king…” – if a person were to say to you: ‘I am able to ascertain the foundations of the world,’ say to him: ‘You are unable [to ascertain the considerations] of a king of flesh and blood, but [the considerations] of the King, king of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, you are able [to ascertain]?’ Rabbi Naḥman said two [parables]: This is analogous to a field of reeds into which a person is unable to enter. What did one clever person do? He cut and entered, cut and entered through the cut area and emerged through the cut area.35Each wise person, in his area of expertise, paves the way for everyone else to follow. Rabbi Naḥman said [another parable]: This is analogous to a large palace with multiple entrances. Everyone who entered it would lose his way. There was one clever person who took a skein of reed grass and tied it opposite the entrance.36He unraveled the skein as he continued into the palace and in that way, found his way out. Everyone entered by means of the skein and exited by means of the skein.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: To what is this matter analogous? It is to a king of flesh and blood who built a palace. All the passersby entered it and said: Were its columns higher, it would be beautiful. Were its walls higher, it would be beautiful. Were its ceiling higher, it would be beautiful.37It is appropriate for people to critique a palace built by people. Shall a person come and say: If I had three hands, three eyes, three ears, or three feet I would be beautiful? The verse states: “[As who is the person who would come after the king,] to that which they have already done [asuhu].” It is not written here asahu,38Singular but rather, asuhu.39Plural It is, as it were, that the Holy One blessed be He and His court did it. They were counted on each and every one of your limbs and established you in accordance with what is best for you.40God, as it were, consulted the members of His heavenly court and acted based on a vote of its members. If you say there are two authorities, is it not already stated: “He made you and established you” (Deuteronomy 32:6)?
Rabbi Levi bar Ḥaita said: [When] a king of flesh and blood builds a palace, if he places its drainpipe at its entrance, it is neither beautiful nor worthy, but the Holy One blessed be He created man and placed his drainpipe at his entrance. What is it? It is his nose, and it is his beauty and his worth.41The nose contributes significantly to each person’s distinctive appearance. Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon said: It is written: “The Lord God formed man” (Genesis 2:7); why does the verse state: “That He formed” (Genesis 2:8)? Rather, the Rock (haTzur) is a beautiful sculptor [tzayar]. As it were, He takes pride in His world and says: See the creation that I created and the sculpture that I sculpted.
And Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon said: “This is the chronology of the heavens and the earth when they were created [behibare’am]” (Genesis 2:4) – He created them [hu bera’am], He praises them; who denigrates them? If their Creator praises them, who finds fault with them? Rather, they are beautiful and praiseworthy, as it is stated: “This is the chronology of the heavens and the earth [when they were created, on the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens]” (Genesis 2:4). Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Behibare’am, He created them with the letter heh [beheh bera’am].42The letter heh is the easiest to pronounce, indicating that there was no exertion on the part of the Creator.
“I turned [ufaniti] to behold wisdom” – [the word] ufaniti [should be read] ufiniti, I emptied, like this bowl that is filled at times and spilled at times. So, Solomon studied Torah at times, and at times forgot it.
“To behold wisdom, debauchery, and folly” – Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Simon: Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa says: “Debauchery” – this is debauchery of the kingdom;33This is a critique of the behavior of government officials. “folly” – this is heavy-handedness.34They impose harsh taxes on the foolish masses. Rabbi Simon says: “Debauchery” – this is debauchery of heresy; “folly” – this is foolishness.
“As who is the person who would come after the king…” – if a person were to say to you: ‘I am able to ascertain the foundations of the world,’ say to him: ‘You are unable [to ascertain the considerations] of a king of flesh and blood, but [the considerations] of the King, king of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, you are able [to ascertain]?’ Rabbi Naḥman said two [parables]: This is analogous to a field of reeds into which a person is unable to enter. What did one clever person do? He cut and entered, cut and entered through the cut area and emerged through the cut area.35Each wise person, in his area of expertise, paves the way for everyone else to follow. Rabbi Naḥman said [another parable]: This is analogous to a large palace with multiple entrances. Everyone who entered it would lose his way. There was one clever person who took a skein of reed grass and tied it opposite the entrance.36He unraveled the skein as he continued into the palace and in that way, found his way out. Everyone entered by means of the skein and exited by means of the skein.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: To what is this matter analogous? It is to a king of flesh and blood who built a palace. All the passersby entered it and said: Were its columns higher, it would be beautiful. Were its walls higher, it would be beautiful. Were its ceiling higher, it would be beautiful.37It is appropriate for people to critique a palace built by people. Shall a person come and say: If I had three hands, three eyes, three ears, or three feet I would be beautiful? The verse states: “[As who is the person who would come after the king,] to that which they have already done [asuhu].” It is not written here asahu,38Singular but rather, asuhu.39Plural It is, as it were, that the Holy One blessed be He and His court did it. They were counted on each and every one of your limbs and established you in accordance with what is best for you.40God, as it were, consulted the members of His heavenly court and acted based on a vote of its members. If you say there are two authorities, is it not already stated: “He made you and established you” (Deuteronomy 32:6)?
Rabbi Levi bar Ḥaita said: [When] a king of flesh and blood builds a palace, if he places its drainpipe at its entrance, it is neither beautiful nor worthy, but the Holy One blessed be He created man and placed his drainpipe at his entrance. What is it? It is his nose, and it is his beauty and his worth.41The nose contributes significantly to each person’s distinctive appearance. Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon said: It is written: “The Lord God formed man” (Genesis 2:7); why does the verse state: “That He formed” (Genesis 2:8)? Rather, the Rock (haTzur) is a beautiful sculptor [tzayar]. As it were, He takes pride in His world and says: See the creation that I created and the sculpture that I sculpted.
And Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon said: “This is the chronology of the heavens and the earth when they were created [behibare’am]” (Genesis 2:4) – He created them [hu bera’am], He praises them; who denigrates them? If their Creator praises them, who finds fault with them? Rather, they are beautiful and praiseworthy, as it is stated: “This is the chronology of the heavens and the earth [when they were created, on the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens]” (Genesis 2:4). Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Behibare’am, He created them with the letter heh [beheh bera’am].42The letter heh is the easiest to pronounce, indicating that there was no exertion on the part of the Creator.
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